CIDCO demolishes 15 Windowpanes in half-an-hour

The much talked about demolition of the controversial Green Heritage building in Kharghar started and ended in 30 minutes. The City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited (CIDCO) officials removed a few windowpanes of the building’s clubhouse and called off the demolition after the builders assured them in writing that the illegally developed parts would be removed.

A happy ending: One of the partners of Abhishek Developers (in green) shake hands with CIDCO official Anil Patil; (below) a constable keeps an eye on the machinery brought in for demolition. Pics/Sameer Markande

The officials, reportedly, started demolishing the building around 1.30 pm and removed 15 windowpanes in half-an-hour, when two of the six partners of Abhishek Developers reached the spot at 2 pm and requested CIDCO official Anil Patil to stop the demolition. Patil yielded to their request. He even gave the developers a duration of three months to demolish parts of the building that had been developed illegally.

Green Heritage Controversy

Patil defended his action by claiming that the developers had assured him in writing that they would do the needful.

“We stopped the demolition as the developers gave us a written assurance that they will remove all the illegal construction. The whole building would have been affected if we had removed the illegal construction citing technical parameters. We have given the developers three months, as it is technically difficult to remove the illegal construction immediately. But our men will be stationed at the building to ensure removal of illegal construction by the developers,” said Patil.

Sunil Kumar, the petitioner who had dragged Abhishek Developers to the Bombay High Court over irregularities in constructing the building, raised doubts over the seriousness of CIDCO officials after the demolition was cancelled.

“How can CIDCO assume the undertaking given by the developers to be legal and valid when the high court has turned down the developers’ plea. As the developers have sold all the flats, they do not have any right to give any undertaking. CIDCO’s decision to stop the demolition is against rules and regulations, and raises doubts over their intentions. I am going to file a complaint in the high court soon,” said Kumar.

The CIDCO had invested Rs 2 lakh for arranging a crane, three poclains, three trucks and about 40 labourers to clear the debris. Patil claimed that the developers will be charged for the waste of money. However, another CIDCO official refuted Patil’s claim.

“We are restricted to demand an encroacher to compensate only for what we have demolished and not for money spent on the machinery necessary of demolition. In Green Heritage case, we have not removed anything except a few windowpanes, so the developers are not bound to pay to CIDCO for what it spent on the machinery,” the official said.

Despite repeated attempts, all the six partners of Abhishek Developers remained unreachable.